I recently switched radio stations in the car, mainly because I was fed up of listening to a) the same songs and b) adverts for men’s neck and ear hair removal and soda streams (yes, really).

I also wanted a radio station that gave me news, and not just updates on Lindsay Lohan’s drink/drug episodes (although I confess to finding this amusing, if not necessarily of importance in any way shape or form).

What I heard rather took me by surprise. I wasn’t sure if I was listening to a news bulletin or a movie preview. A deep-voiced man basically read out the news like it was a movie trailer – for example: “In Baltimore there have been reports of a fire in a tower block….” He made it sound like Denzel Washington would appear as an FBI agent who might investigate said fire, but that there were some suspicious terrorists responsible and darker sub-plot involving Denzel’s estranged wife, played by Charlize Theron (just guessing, here). The same goes for traffic news about a jam on the I95 – I’ve never been to intrigued as to what might happen to the people in the queue – alien abduction perhaps…..?

Anyhow, it all sounded rather dramatic when it wasn’t really.

Naked woman by Christmas tree

Well, I suspect that got your attention. And it did mine, when looking at my blog stats and search terms to view how people had stumbled across my blog. Someone, somewhere had put in the search term ‘naked woman by Christmas tree’ and found my blog.

Such are the perils of such a title as ‘Desperate Housewife….’. I do wonder if they found a lovely picture of a naked woman by a Christmas tree – or more to the point, I wonder if their wife did….

Dallas Dance

In a recent news bulletin I discovered that the Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent is called Dallas Dance. I totally love that name (it will appear in my novel), and it really is real. Much respect to Dallas’ parents.

In contrast, the schools councillor in Gloucestershire is called Jackie Hall. Booooring, Jackie – sort it out.

Woman at school pulls out knife

Yes, only two days after the dreadful incident in Connecticut, a woman pulls out a knife at a school in Baltimore.

It’s crazy…

“Baltimore City Public Schools Police arrested a family member of a student at National Academy Foundation Preparatory School on Monday.

The visitor had come to the school to deliver a birthday cake and balloons to her relative. She walked into the school without clearance and direction from the school office and was promptly intercepted by a school staff member, in keeping with school safety protocols.

An altercation ensued during which the visitor presented a knife.

Both the staff member and the visitor sustained hand injuries.

The staff member received medical treatment at a nearby hospital. The visitor was treated by ambulance attendants at the scene and then transported to Baltimore City’s Central Booking Intake Facility for processing.”